It's one of the biggest athletics events in Northern Europe. This is what to expect if you're in the Norwegian capital during the Oslo Marathon.
Thousands of runners took to the streets of Oslo today for the 2011 Oslo Marathon. I was exhausted just watching.
The course is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque out there. It starts and ends at the historical Akershus Fortress, takes in Norway's Parliament and Opera House, with approximately half the course run along Oslo's extensive waterfront.
There was also a half-marathon, 10k and 3k distance races. That meant that far from just serious runners, there was a nice mix of people taking part.
The atmosphere was typical of a modern marathon, with live music, supporters lining the streets (“HEIA!”) shouting out the names of the runners (a great idea to have people's first name on their shirt rather than a number!)
I can't imagine walking 42 km, let alone running it, so the upmost respect goes to every single person who took part. 16,000 people raced today, a new record, and the main race was won by Andreas Myhre Sjurseth in 2hrs 27mins 28 seconds. Ouch!
If you were one of the participants in this year's event, kudos to you! If you're wondering what it's like to participate in there race, read this blog post from one of Life in Norway's regular writers about his experience in the 2018 Oslo Marathon.